Posted by d0pamine on November 12, 2007, at 19:28:51
In reply to Anyone ever COLD while on RITALIN?? Freezing?, posted by sometimesblue on November 12, 2007, at 15:57:55
Yup. Also experienced it with adderall and dex.
"Cold hands are a sign of an overactive autonomic nervous system. More specifically, the signs of an overactive sympathetic nervous system. Our emotional and physiological self are controlled by the autonomic nervous system - a system that increases and decreases our heart rate, breathing rate, etc. One group of nerves "speeds" us up and one group of nerves "slows" us down. These groups are known as the sympathetic nerves and parasympathetic nerves. When the sympathetic nerves are fired (stimulated) the heart rate increases and blood is shunted from our hands, feet, and abdomen to our large muscle groups such as thighs and hips. Many muscles tense during this stimulation. This is a primitive reflex response which prepares us to flee from a threatening situation. (remember in high school biology the fight or flight response?) The parasympathetics, when stimulated, slows the heart rate down, causing rest, relaxation, and eventually sleep. During parasympathetic stimulation blood flows throughout the body and into the abdominal organs (to help digestion, etc)."
This over stimulation of the sympathetic nervous system (which more importantly also results in an under active parasympathetic nervous system) has always been my primary health concern with stimulant or stimulating meds. A healthy parasympathetic balance is an absolute prerequisite for longterm health. A reasonable balance really should be possible, but I always struggle with balance.
poster:d0pamine
thread:794670
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20071104/msgs/794704.html